Mr Logic

Teams who score more goals than they concede win matches. Who would have thought it? It was the manner in which they win them that my post alluded to, but you knew that, didn't you.

Watching football has to be entertaining or I won't watch it, simple as. Big Sam's team is currently serving up dross the vast majority of the time, and I personally don't have the patience to watch that for 2 more years to see if it gets a bit better. If we are going to have to wait 2 to 3 years before the team and system are complete, (and we are, for if there's one thing that's established it's that no manager ever produced a succesful team in 6 months), I'd rather watch something like Mowbray's brand of football whilst I'm waiting. Just as I enjoyed watching Keegan's brand of football. We have conceded a ridiculous amount of goals this season, something an attacking team is actually far less likey to do as the other team are often kept busy defending. Also a factor with Keegan's team, who conceded far fewer goals than most people seem to think due to the oft quoted media perception of Newcastle's poor defence over the years. I'm not, god forbid, arguing for a 'Return of the Messiah' scenario, but pointing out what I feel most would prefer. To watch attacking football. I was reading the Newcastle Miscellany just yesterday and was surprised to see the goal tally column for a league table from 1926/27 where the team that had finished bottom had managed to score 65 goals; that's more than some top 3 teams get in a season these days. The all time Premiership table lists Man Utd as top, scoring 1140 goals compared to 516 conceded. Again it rather points to the brand of football known as attacking to be rather succesful on the whole. So yeah, I'll throw my hat in the ring for Mowbray too.

He's trying to make amends for the away defeat by hammering them by the look of it, that's as 4-2-4 as you could get with our squad really.

I was only trying to demonstrate the standards of journalism in this country. Couple of days before they (Express) had a small bit about Tozer in and next to it they had some random photo of a negro chap.

Definitelty Ginola on the second shirt, I could just see him wearing it. I'd put Bearsley on the other away shirt and Ferdinand ,Shearer or Lee on the first one.

Can someone who goes to the games comment on Geremis ability as a captain. Ignoring whatever brand of football he plays when he's out there does he perform like a captain, talkative, encouraging, demonstrative?

....any advance.............. Realising 11 is impossible of course..

His reasoning behind it seems sound enough though.. I think part of the difficulty we’ve had – particularly in defence – is getting those guys working together. “I’m not convinced adding another two names in defence is necessarily going to be the solution this season. TBF he doesn't say it won't happen, just he's not convinced. A lot of the new players are getting slagged off as not good enough before they've had a chance to develop understanding together. That some of them also look unsuited to the premiership is also too early to say with any certainty. If it means a solid productive summer tranfer window I'd be happy enough with a couple of youngsters for the squad.

Sunday Sun; Neil Farrington.. Some interesting statements in there, not least the potential direction the club will be taking in buying policy.

On the basis that Cacapa doesn't make mistakes?

We must be setting some kind of record for conceding goals in quick time.

He could be frustrating as hell sometimes, but one moment of magic and all that was quickly forgotten.

I wouldn't miss him, not difficult like as he's hardly been on the pitch. 20 games in 2 years isn't it?

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What was the atmosphere like, lots of noise?

As someone else said, boo at the end of 90 minutes. During the game do your utmost to lift the team on the off-chance the positive sounds from the crowd will lift the team. What I find the most amazing is, even knowing what the press are like, so many here are calling Barton for this piece. For all you know he was pacing up and down his room today kicking the cat and thinking. "That's not how I meant it, and yes, I said that and that, but he missed out all the stuff I said about this and this." Anyway, all said and done. You don't need a degree in psychology to understand how uplifting cheers can encourage people and how negative jibes can make them nervous. The point made about Crouch was also a valid one. A great player (not Crouch, obviously) with a slightly nervous disposition, who needs a bit of encouragement because of insecurity issues, but is fantastic on his day.. might think Newcastle? No way, I'm not going there. The St James' Park, or rather the press reporting of the atmosphere, could be a negative factor in the decision making process. You frequently hear players saying one of the reasons they chose to come was because of the crowd, I guess that could go both ways.

Oh aye, but the last line still made me chuckle. And despite the heading the piece falls under you know it's for a wider audience.. ie. anyone who will listen.

Thought .com had a salient view on it from todays update re: visit to Blackburn. If you're turning out, let's try and restore some of our tattered reputation for being supporters - supplying vocal encouragement to the team - buying a ticket is only part of the deal. We can still have pride in the shirt - even if other parties are less committed. And reacting negatively from the terraces merely gives the players a get-out clause about negative vibes etc. Should that not be on your agenda, may we suggest snapping up tickets for Aladdin at the Theatre Royal or Sleeping Beauty at the Tyne Theatre - where you can boo or hiss to your heart's delight, along with other children...

fyp

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"The Sunday Sun understands Mort and United owner Mike Ashley discussed possible moves for Johnson and Altidore while on business in the States last week. New York Red Bulls starlet Altidore, just 18, is rated as one of the brightest talents America has ever produced, while Allardyce is aware Johnson is out of contract at Kansas City Wizards and available on a free." The Sunday Sun with a scoop???

Never understood the appointment of MacClaren in the first place and it's not the first time the FA have got it spectacularly wrong. It's the FA that needs ripping apart and rebuilding as there are too many of them that are more interested in self-aggrandizement and know less about football than they should. Get rid of Barwick and his cronies, give the positions to real football men (like Sir Bobby for example).

2-2

One for each of their reserve players.. 'This is what it looks like! Ball goes in the white nets at either end.'